Whether you’re visiting Tokyo for the first time, returning or visiting for cherry blossom season, you’ll be spoilt for choice for the best things to do in Tokyo. Tokyo is the biggest city in the world, and is like five cities joined together, with a dizzying array of things to discover. I spent a week in Tokyo, and loved having so much time to explore this amazing, global metropolis. I’ve rounded up my recommendations for the best things to do in Tokyo below, which include Yoyogi Park, Senso-Ji Temple, Tsukiji Market, the Shibuya crossing, Meiji Shrine and Tokyo’s old world Yanaka neighbourhood.

Bar hop in Golden Gai

Golden Gai is one of the most romantic and nostalgic destinations in Tokyo, and a must-visit for a night out. Golden Gai is a collection of more than 200 hole-in-the-wall bars crammed into six blocks in Shinjuku. It’s a maze of narrow alleyways and is like stepping back in time, to post-war Tokyo, before the city’s futuristic transformation. Most of the bars only seat 4-10 people, and not all of them market themselves to foreigners – you’ll be able to get a sense of whether it’s a tourist-friendly bar as you walk around. Golden Gai comes alive from 8pm.

Eat in Memory Lane (Omoide Yochoko)

Like Golden Gai, Memory Lane is a precinct that time forgot. Instead of bars, Memory Lane is a collection of tiny food stalls and restaurants, serving simple and cheap Japanese snacks. Memory Lane formed in the 1940s, when Japan was Occupied by the victorious Allied Forces following World War II. It started as a black market area, where people could by food and other items that were scarce, due to tight Allied controls. Since then, it has morphed into an area for tiny restaurants and food stalls, but has retained it’s rebellious spirit. Memory Lane translates to Omoide Yochoko in Japanese, but is also known as Piss Alley to locals – don’t let the name deter you, it has no meaning today but refers to the lack of public toilets in the area in the 1940s and 50s. Memory Lane is hidden away, near Shinjuku Station. The entrance is marked by a green & yellow neon sign in Japanese, near the Uniqlo.

Senso-Ji Temple

If you have time for just one temple in Tokyo, make it Senso-Ji. Located in Asakusa, Senso-Ji is the oldest and one of the most significant temples in Tokyo. Senso-Ji is a Buddhist temple and was completed in 645 AD. It was destroyed by bombing during World War II, and was rebuilt afterwards. It receives 30 million visitors per year, and according to some sources, it is the most visited religious site in the world. Senso-ji is dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion. I visited Senso-Ji at night, and it was absolutely beautiful when it was illuminated against the night sky. There are lots of great restaurants in the streets surrounding Senso-Ji, and the Nakamise Dori Markets around the temple are also worth a look.

Yoyogi Park

A stroll through Yoyogi Park is one of the best things to do in Tokyo, especially on Sundays when it attracts an eclectic crowd of Tokyo subcultures, including rockabillies, cosplayers, martial arts clubs and jugglers. Yoyogi Park is one of the largest city parks in Tokyo, and is a popular spot for picnics during hanami (cherry blossom) season or autumn when the gingko forest is especially beautiful. Yoyogi Park is home to the Yoyogi Flea Market, which is one of the biggest flea markets in Tokyo with more than 800 vendors. The Yoyogi Flea is often held on Sundays but its schedule can be erratic. It’s also home to the seasonal Earth Garden festival, a lively sustainability festival held to celebrate each season. When we visited Yoyogi Park, we were lucky to time with autumn foliage, the autumn Earth Garden Festival and Yoyogi Flea, but even without these events it is a beautiful place to visit in Tokyo.

Explore Old Town Tokyo in Yanaka

Yanaka is one of my favourite neighbourhoods in Tokyo. Located in Northern Tokyo, Yanaka escaped the bombings during WII that flattened so many of the central Tokyo neighbourhoods. Walking through Yanaka is like stepping back in time, and it’s almost hard to believe that it’s part of the same city as futuristic Shibuya and Shinjuku. To get to Yanaka, go to Nishi-Nippori Station. From the station, you can explore several beautiful and traditional Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Make your way to Yanaka Ginza, which is a beautiful shopping street, which is perfectly preserved. If you explore the backstreets of Yanaka, particularly towards Ueno Park, you’ll also come across lots of brightly coloured and eclectic kawaii architecture. A morning exploring Yanaka is easily one of the best things to do in Tokyo, to see a totally different side of the city.

Ueno Park

Ueno Park is one of the largest parks in Tokyo, and one of the best spots in the city for admiring the cherry blossoms during hanami season. Ueno Park is located in Central Tokyo, and is home to Ueno Zoo, shrines and temples, the esteemed University of Tokyo and many museums including the Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and the National Science Museum. We visited Ueno Park in September, and spent most of our time admiring Benzaiten Temple, Shinobazu Pond which is covered in lotus, and Swan Lake which has paddle boats for hire. Take the subway to Ueno Station to visit Ueno Park.

Breakfast Sushi at Tsukiji Market

Visiting the Tsukiji Outer Market is easily one of the best things to do in Tokyo, particularly if you come for breakfast or lunch! The Tsukiji Market was once split into the Inner Market and Outer Market, with the world famous tuna auctions taking place in the Inner Market, and the Outer Market offering restaurants and food shops. In 2018, the Inner Market moved to a new building at the Toyosu Market, but the Outer Market of Tsukiji still remains in place. The Outer Market restaurants and food stalls at Tsukiji still get their fresh fish direct from the Toyosu Market, so it remains one of the best spots in Tokyo for fresh seafood. Even without the tuna auctions, which are held before dawn anyway, the Outer Market at Tsukiji is an amazing place to visit for the atmosphere and the variety of delicious, fresh seafood ready to eat. The shops & restaurants are open from 5am-2pm, from Monday-Saturday. I’m not exaggerating to say that the sushi I had for breakfast at Tsukiji Market was the best I’ve had in my life!

Tuna Auctions at the Toyoso Market

If you’ve got your heart set on seeing the world famous tuna auction in Tokyo, head to the Toyoso Market. The Toyoso Market is home to the tuna auction that used to be held at Tsukiji. The Toyoso Market is a modern, purpose-built market for the tuna auction that makes it easier for tourists to view the auction, provides up-to-date premises for the wholesalers and also offers a number of restaurants on the premises. There are three buildings at Toyosu – two for seafood, and one for fruit & vegetables. There are two ways to view the tuna auctions at Toyoso, which happens from 5:30am. The first option is to enter the lottery for the Tuna Observation Deck, by registering in advance. Located on a lower floor close to the action, this deck separates visitors from the auction by a single pane of glass, so you can still hear the auction from your deck. You’ll also be exposed to the cold temperatures! If you don’t get a spot on the Observation Deck, you can go to the Tuna Observation Windows, which have double-glazed glass, which means you aren’t exposed to the auction hall temperatures, but you also won’t be able to hear the auction. There is only room for 27 people though, so arrive early!

Feast on 7-Eleven Snacks

It sounds mad, but trust me. The snacks available at 7-Eleven in Tokyo is nothing like the food you’ll find there at their other outposts around the world. In Tokyo, 7-Eleven is insanely popular, and the food is delicious! We ate at least one snack a day on everyday of our week-long trip to Tokyo, and couldn’t believe how high the quality was. There are more than 50,000 7-Eleven stores in Japan, and you’re never more than a five minute walk from one in Tokyo. You’ll need cash everywhere in Tokyo, so we’d stop in to get more cash out & pick up a delicious snack each day. The best snack at 7-Eleven in Tokyo is the onigiri, which is a rice ball covered with seaweed and filled with seafood. A must-do in Tokyo!

Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu)

The Meiji Shrine is one of Tokyo’s most important shrines, dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken. The original shrine was built in 1920, destroyed by bombing in World War II, and re-built shortly afterwards. The Meiji Shring is located in Yoyogi Park and is surrounded by a 170-acre forest of more than 120,000 trees, donated by the people from all over Japan. Emperor Meiji was beloved for being the first emperor of modern Japan, by modernising the country following a Feudal Period, and building the country into a global power. Before Meiji, Japan was an isolationist, feudal power which cut itself off from the modern world and technological advances, leaving it vulnerable to foreign colonising powers. Meiji opened up Japan, and transformed the country. When we visited the Meiji Shrine, it was buzzing with large numbers of Japanese residents and families, many celebrating in traditional dress. A number of ceremonies appeared to be taking place, which gave it a very different atmosphere to religious sites around the world which are predominantly overrun with tourists.

Eat under the train tracks at a gado-shita

All over Tokyo, you’ll find strings of restaurants and bars underneath the city’s elevated train tracks. These restaurants are called gado-shita, which translates to “under the beams.” These restaurants and precincts have a unique, retro atmosphere and you’ll also find great deals on lunchtime meals here. We had a delicious, and cheap lunch meal deal at a restaurant under the train tracks near Ueno, but you can find gado-shita all over town. Some popular spots are between Shinbashi and Yurachuko stations, under Koenji Station and Nakameguro Koukashita.

Kawaii culture in Harajuku

One of Tokyo’s most famous cultural exports is kawaii culture, which is a celebration of all things cute! The famous Harajuku neighbourhood is the Tokyo’s capital of kawaii, especially around Takeshita Street. Stop by for some kawaii crepes and shopping, and to see the colourful street style from Tokyo residents dressed up in their kawaii best. 

Shibuya Crossing

The Shibuya Crossing has to be experienced to believed. It is the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, yet crossing is a serene and calm experience. In any other country I’ve ever been to, this crossing would be chaos. Shibuya Crossing is likened to Times Square, but somehow it feels totally peaceful. After you’ve crossed at the Shibuya Crossing, head to one of the many cafes overlooking the crossing, for a surprisingly mesmerising view over coffee.

Mitsukoshi Food Hall in Ginza

Ginza is Tokyo’s most luxurious shopping destination. This elegant neighbourhood is home to Tokyo’s leading luxury department stores and boutiques, restaurants and art galleries. Ginza is famous for its $10 coffees, so come prepared to part with some serious cash. When we visited Ginza, I wasn’t in the market for luxury goods, but we did have a delicious bento box from a luxurious food hall at Ginza Mitsukoshi, Tokyo’s oldest department store chain. Mitsukoshi was founded in 1673, and the 12-floor store in Ginza was built in 1930. The food hall is on level B2 & B3, and can be accessed directly from the A7 subway exit.

Make your own okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a delicious, savoury Japanese dish which can be roughly likened to a Japanese crepe or pancake, filled with cabbage and vegetables. It is so much more than this though, so one of the best things to do in Tokyo is to experience it for yourself! At a number of okonomiyaki restaurants around Tokyo, you can make your own okonomiyaki while seated at a low table with a grill plate, under the watchful eye of the restaurant staff who are on hand to prevent you from spoiling your own lunch. We made okonomiyaki at Sometaro in Asakusa, which was a real highlight of our trip!

Tokyo Tower

The Tokyo Tower is a lesson in perspective. Compared to Tokyo’s towering skyscrapers, it doesn’t look all that tall, but it is actually taller than its inspiration, the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The Tokyo Tower was built in 1958 as a symbol of Japan’s re-birth as a major economic power after World War II. Visiting one of the observation decks in the Tokyo Tower is one of the best things to do in Tokyo, to take in the impressive views over the seemingly never-ending metropolis. We visited the Tokyo Tower at night, which gave us an incredible view of the city after dark.

Observation Deck at the Metropolitan Government Building

Get incredible views over Tokyo at the free observation decks in the Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku. Until 2007, these twin towers were the tallest buildings in Tokyo! On a clear day, you can see Mt Fuji, Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree and the Meiji Shrine. When we visited, we didn’t have clear weather to see Mt Fuji, but we did get amazing views over the sea of skyscrapers that makes modern Tokyo.

Imperial Palace

The Imperial Palace is the primary residence of Japan’s Imperial Family. While the palace and the inner grounds of the Palace aren’t ordinarily open to the public, you can view the palace from the beautiful Imperial Palace East Gardens, which have a beautiful Japanese-style garden and some remains from walls, moats and towers from when the grounds were part of Edo Castle during the 17th-19th centuries.

Visit Temples & Shrines in Nishi-Nioppori

Take the metro to Nishi-Nippori train station, and find a number of beautiful Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples on your way to Yanaka. Some of the loveliest are Jokojiyukimidera Buddhist Temple and Suwa Shrine.

Day Trip to Mt Fuji

Mt Fuji is an icon of Japan, and one of the most recognisable peaks in the entire world. Mt Fuji can be visited on a day trip from Tokyo, which is best done as part of a guided day tour. There are ten stations on Mt Fuji, the highest station that you can access by motor vehicle is the Fifth Station. At the Fifth Station, you’ll have great views of the peak, as well as access to some touristy facilities and a lovely forest.

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